The first lady dresses for herself—and that's change we can believe in

If she were just the mother of the two cutest children on planet Earth, it would be enough. And if she were just down-to-earth yet extraordinarily charismatic, that too would be enough. But on top of all that, the first lady of the United States of America has mad style.

True, she's not the first. Other recent presidents' wives were elegant and glamorous, notably Nancy Reagan and, of course, Jacqueline Kennedy. Nancy's flashy, Falcon Crest-worthy Galanos gowns and aristocratic Adolfo suits were alternately gushed over and reviled for epitomizing '80s Republican excess. The world's approving eyes were glued to Jackie's Oleg Cassini column dresses and her coiffure from Kenneth, which was somehow frisky and regal at the same time. But neither of those divas was exactly of the people—I went to see an exhibition of Jackie's clothes a couple of years ago at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for crying out loud. Michelle Obama's style, by contrast, is sophisticated but accessible. We've heard a lot about her love of color and interest in American fashion. But perhaps what matters most is that she doesn't dress like The Wife of a President; she never appears to be in a costume for her role. She dresses like a Harvard-educated, young, professional mother: herself.

To read the full story on Michelle Obama, visit our sister site, ELLE.com.